Big 12 Media Days 2024 schedule, storylines to watch

What you need to know as Big 12 Media Days kicks off from Las Vegas, with a preview of the 2024 preseason football rankings and storylines to keep in mind.

Big 12 Media Days are here to kick off the 2024 football season, with plenty of storylines and rankings ahead of the event in Las Vegas. / Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

College football's Talkin' Season is here, and with a historic 2024 season fast approaching, Big 12 coaches and players are set to appear in Las Vegas for the newly-expanded conference's Media Days this week.

Media members have already released their Big 12 All-Conference Preseason Team and the annual projected order of finish and football power rankings for the 2024 campaign, and judging by the close vote, we should expect this to be one of college football's more competitive conferences.

And for the second straight season, the Big 12 is undergoing some notable expansion. Helping pick apart the old Pac-12, the conference brings in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Arizona State to help compensate for the historic loss of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC this year.

Here's what you need to know as Big 12 Media Days gets underway, with a preview of the full schedule and a look at the preseason football rankings.

Big 12 Media Days 2024 schedule, storylines

All times Eastern

Tues., July 9

1 p.m. Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark speaks.

2 p.m. TCU head coach Sonny Dykes.

2:20 p.m. Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman.

2:40 p.m. Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield

3 p.m. Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire

3:20 p.m. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham

3:40 p.m. Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham

4 p.m. Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy

4:20 p.m. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell

Wed., July 10

1 p.m. College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark speaks.

1:25 p.m. National Football Foundation chief operating officer Matthew Sign.

1:30 p.m. Las Vegas Bowl executive director and Bowl Season chairman John Saccenti.

2 p.m. Colorado head coach Deion Sanders

2:20 p.m. Kansas head coach Lance Leipold

2:40 p.m. West Virginia head coach Neal Brown

3 p.m. BYU head coach Kalani Sitake

3:20 p.m. UCF head coach Gus Malzahn

3:40 p.m. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda

4 p.m. Houston head coach Willie Fritz

4:20 p.m. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan

Big money questions

Rumors circulated this offseason that the Big 12 may consider a name change to the conference as part of a prospective sponsorship deal that would bring the league more revenue.

Insiders speculate such a deal would bring the Big 12 around $50 million per year in new money.

And news of the Big 12's interest in a corporate sponsor comes as it was revealed the league is also reportedly exploring a potential investment from a European private equity fund that could bring the conference up to $1 billion in exchange for a 15 to 20 percent stake in the operation, per reports.

Official remarks from the Big 12 on these subjects have been sparse, but it's likely that commissioner Brett Yormark will face questions on these topics.

Utah is the favorite

Boasting arguably the expanded Big 12's premier overall roster, the Utes are poised to make a run at the league title in their debut season. Media members gave Utah 20 first-place votes in the preseason rankings and the team, coming off two Pac-12 titles in the last three years, is loaded.

Cameron Rising returns to the quarterback position after missing last season with a knee injury, and he'll be joined by star tight end Brant Kuithe. Those two combined with transfer receiver Dorian Singer, make Utah a contender for the Big 12 and the expanded College Football Playoff.

Don't overlook Kansas State

The Wildcats fell one vote shy of tying Utah at first-place in the preseason media rankings, based on the strength of a program that has won 19 games under head coach Chris Klieman the last two years.

Will Howard is gone, transferred to Ohio State, but the quarterback position looks stable with youngster Avery Johnson at the helm. He's short on experience, but put forward promising tape in his limited exposure, particularly in the bowl game.

The Ollie Gordon Situation

Oklahoma State's star running back returns after leading college football in rushing a year ago, but that's likely not what will be discussed first when Gundy represents the program in Vegas.

Gordon, the preseason Offensive Player of the Year and only unanimous All-Big 12 selection, was arrested recently on suspicion of driving under the influence and over the speed limit.

OSU said that Gordon will be on site to represent the Cowboys, a good sign concerning his status with the program, but we hope to learn more from both the player and his coach.

Otherwise, the Pokes remain in contention for the Big 12 crown, placing third in the media poll with 14 first-place votes and returning key experience on both sides of the ball.

Coach Prime's Big 12 debut

Though this isn't Deion Sanders' first year in a Power conference, it will be his first attending the Media Days of one. Colorado's head coach didn't go to Pac-12 Media Days last year after having surgery and he was at Jackson State the year before that.

Coach Prime is always appointment viewing and should once again own the room when taking questions about the state of his Buffaloes team, which underwent another major turnover thanks in large part to the transfer portal.

But two key foundations remain in place: Shedeur Sanders, the coach's son and the Buffs' dynamic quarterback, and two-way player Travis Hunter, a star at both wide receiver and defensive back. Both are among the best overall players nationally and on them Colorado's hopes largely depend.

Big 12 Media Preseason Football Rankings

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Utah (20)
2. Kansas State (19)
3. Oklahoma State (14)
4. Kansas (5)
5. Arizona (3)
6. Iowa State
7. West Virginia
8, UCF
9. Texas Tech
10. TCU
11. Colorado
12. Baylor
13. BYU
14. Cincinnati
15. Houston
16. Arizona State

-

More college football from SI: Top 25 Rankings | Schedule | Teams

Follow College Football HQ: Bookmark | Rankings | Picks